I've got boxes of family videos on VHS, Beta & 8MM

Quite a while ago, I bought a Plextor ConvertX, Model PX-M402U Digital Video Converter.  I set up my old video players (VHS & Beta) and I have the video camera I used in years past.  I have the original install disk for the Plextor and got started to convert all the old analog video to digital files.  Bummer, it appears (after "Googling" the world wide web) that the drivers are not compatible with Win7.

 

So, now I have this nice new silver colored door stop.  However, I'm stymied in my project.  So, I am hoping that this community might have some ideas of a neat, easy to use device I can buy which will let me get back to work.

I checked earlier and could not find my earlier post.  I thought that I had done something wrong.  This is basically a repeat of an earlier request for help.  Sorry, I do not see anything about how to delete a post.

 

Moderator edit: Older post deleted

Roger

Hi, Plenty of options for hardware here http://www.hauppauge.com/

or http://www.avermedia-usa.com/AVerTV/

 

or this video capturing forum http://forum.videohelp.com/forums/10-Capturing

 

FWIW I use a HiDef capture device from the the first company.

 

Good Luck

Roger

I don't know how much you paid for that converter, but I see ads in

my area for XP machines from $50 to $100 constantly.....Craig's List

As others mentioned, you have several options here.
1) Attempt to run it in Virtual-PC ontop of Windows 7, as outlined on Plexor's Forums.
2) Get an old Windows XP box and put the card in that.
3) Buy an afforable new card that supports Windows 7.
You can actually use any TV Tuner Card, and just put the outpout from the device (e.g. the video and audio out from your VCR) directly into your TV Tuner. I've done this with WinFast cards in the past and converted old VHS over the DVD. So depending on the quality your looking for, a simple google for "cheap Windows 7 TV Tuners cards" should get you something.

I bought a Pioneer DVR RT-500 DVD Recorder. Transfers VHS to DVD and vice-versa. Using a PC to do this was just too much of a headache. PC's just cannot do what they claim and software is becoming incompatible with every Windows OS release. To keep purchasing video and sound cards plus new software every year or so is just a waste of time and money. The Pioneer unit is easy and has never failed me

bobwyman, using a DVD recorder to create DVD from VHS is the easiest solution.

However using a computer allows so much more control over the quality.

 

There is plenty of free software as well as paid for software that will allow filtering of the video to produce a much better DVD.

 

The software that I bought 9 years ago when I started getting into making DVDs is still working just fine under Windows 7. with no tweaks or compatibility mode needed.

 

I don't know why You have to keep purchasing Video and sound cards every Year?

If a person builds their own computer from quality parts and brands the driver updates are available for multiple OS's.

 

As an example I ran Windows XP for many Years and then went from that to Windows 7. Both good Solid Operating systems.

 

Cheers

Roger

You are a lucky person Roger! I won't bore you with my tales of PC woes but I will say that I spend more time trying to make programs work that were fine one day and the next they aren't. Some of it I suspect is other programs that suddenly need some codec or other so I download and then other programs go haywire. I do not have funds to purchase this and that. My Sound Blaster X-Fi worked in XP but I picked up a PC (used) that had 7 but was made for Vista. 7 somehow lost all my wav mp3 files. i used Recover My Files to no avail. 50 years of collecting music, 3 years transfering vinyl to hard drive and poof. Back ups? tried Nero which got part way through and froze, burned to disc as much as could but back uo 3000 plus songs takes away my time I need to try to make other programs perform. Help forums are useless. I signed up here to try to find out why Movie Maker 2 on XP (yes I went back to XP) suddenly closes when I tried to fade in. Every problem I have I Google and there is a angry sea of PC users out there who have the same problem and nobody has answers other than a list of "did you try..?" If you purchased a new automobile from Microsoft and had a problem with it you would be told "take it to a parking lot at Main st and Elm, there are 10000 other owners who are having the same problem so maybe you all can fix it"....

I must stop my head hurts but Thank you for your time and if you are ever in my neighborhood stop by, but plan to stay a month or more! : )

Oh yeah the Sound Blast X-fi will not install in 7 and now it won't even work in XP (it is a sb 0460... no longer supported by Creative)

Hi, Sorry to hear you have so many problems. Are You sure your system is Malware free? Your problems are suggestive that your computer may be infected.

 

For example for a Q&D solution (Quick & Dirty) for conversions for Video and audio with no codecs needed since they are built in you could use Freemake Video Converter @ http://www.freemake.com/

When / If You install it make sure to uncheck the optional Toolbar

http://www.videohelp.com/tools/Freemake-Video-Converter

Freemake Video Converter is a very easy All-In-One converter. Convert video between formats (AVI, MP4, WMV, MKV, SWF, 3GP, MPEG, FLV, M2TS, WebM, OGG), create custom presets, cut, rotate, convert to devices, rip & burn DVD, and upload to YouTube. Embed/burn in subtitles. CUDA support. Requires .NET Framework. NOTE! Freemake Video Converter is ADWARE, optional browser toolbar. Full description.

 

If you have problems with it then it has to be something in Your system. I've used it when I don't need fancy and My brother uses it only since fancy software is to much trouble for him to learn.

 

For both of us it is trouble free. I use Paid software when I need to filter, add effects, mutli track etc. But the freemake is so easy I use it when I only need a quick conversion.

 

Good Luck

Roger

I run superantispyware, malwarebytes and spybot regularly. I dump out temp files often and never allow those toolbars or search add-ons. I use Firefox but don't use norton or any program for antivirus that runs all the time and is invasive. My PC runs wellHP Pavilion p6110f, 6gb RAM 3 hard drives and it will run picture editing and mediaplayer while broswing without a hitch. Win7 started to shut down programs left and right, change select start back to load em all. Deny access to files so I would have to "repossess" them.  I believe I should tell the PC what to do not the other way around.

Can you tell me where to look here to find why Movie Maker 2 quits when I apply an effect or transition? I like MM2 and enjoy editing videos. I use Any Video Converter by the way and it seems to do okay for over a year now. I have DVD Copy Express which has been out of business a long time and it did not work under 7. I also like DVD Decrypter. I am a songwriter also so a sound card was very handy for me but Creative will not get my business ever again. I downloaded but am suspicious of K lite codec pack Standard. Directx tells me my VGA is not installed but I have tried numerous times and it does not take. I liked Picture It 2002 but now it has c++ runtime error whatever c++ is  and whatever Directx is I do not know. crtl alt del shows running processes but none of the list is in English. I have web site to promote my music but I just do not have the time to deal with it anymore and html keeps changing and so on...

I'm going to ask a specialist to take a look at this. Please be patient.

installing everything from the K-Kite Codec pack will cause problems. The recommended method for codecs is to only install them if needed to open a certain file type.

 

Roger

Very good thanks. Last point about K-Lite is if a program does not work because of a codec how does one know which codec?? I will look forward to your help and thanks again.

A Codec is tied to a file type. It has nothing to do with the program working as in crashing. All that will happen if a codec is missing id that the program will not be able to open that file type.

 

Examples: To open a .flv you would need a .flv codec. to open a .divx video you would need the divx codec

 

That is why I like freemake video converter for example. The codecs do not need to be installed into the computer. They are in the program, It also handles Audio files too. I don't have problems with Codecs conflicting since I never installed them.

 

Roger

Good evening. .

 

I use Firefox but don't use norton or any program for antivirus that runs all the time and is invasive. My PC runs wellHP Pavilion p6110f, 6gb RAM 3 hard drives and it will run picture editing and mediaplayer while broswing without a hitch. Win7 started to shut down programs left and right, change select start back to load em all. Deny access to files so I would have to "repossess" them.  I believe I should tell the PC what to do not the other way around.

While the symptoms that you describe could have a number of causes, given that some of them are linked to known infections and that you don't seem to have adequate security installed on your system, I tend to think that the issue is malicious in nature.

While there are certain things that you can do to reduce the infection risks that being online pose, avoiding file sharing and not surfing "the dark side" (adult sites for example) to name but two, I have yet to be convinced by anyone that it is possible to use a Windows operating system that is connected to the internet, with a sufficient degree of confidence in its security, without a resident, active, anti-virus program.

 

Common-or-garden applications such Adobe Reader and Acrobat and Sun Java, have repeatedly provided access to computers for infections. While you can surf without both, could you say the same for your browser, Firefox? - take a look at the number of critical vulnerabilities that there have been.

 

The basic level of security that you should have, in my opinion, is a firewall that monitors both inbound and outbound connections (known as a two-way firewall) and a resident anti-virus program. The reason why you shouldn't rely on what are known as on-demand scanners (those that will only work when you initiate a scan) is that they will not actively seek to prevent malicious activity. An on-demand scanner may detect an infection when you have it check your system, but it will be too late to stop it carrying out it's programming, whatever that may be.

 

In the above quote your last sentence offers me a closing point - if you want to be the one that tells your computer what to do, you need to ensure that somebody else doesn't get there first.